


Psychedelic Assistance

by Mcbutter



Category: West of Loathing
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gary (West of Loathing) - Freeform, Gary - Freeform, Possible Spoilers, West of Loathing - Freeform, West of Loathing is a good game, Why isn't there fan fics of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 11:06:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12057693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mcbutter/pseuds/Mcbutter
Summary: During a quest, Sally comes face to face with something she's scared of. Luckily she has her faithful companion Gary to help her. They learn a little about each other in the process, and of course some wonderful feels.Possible spoilers for parts of the game!Why hasn't people done fan fictions of this game?! It's amazing!





	Psychedelic Assistance

**Author's Note:**

> If Gary's Goblin-tongue is too think, just shoot me a message and I can help x3
> 
> Also, any typos or horrible writing skills I am sorry about, I'm not the greatest writer xP

So far this quest had been fairly easy, and was coming to a close. An old man had lost his collection of jelly beans, a weird setting in it self, but a dilemma that Sally had taken upon herself to right no matter how strange. The first two bags were retrieved with little to no effort in their part. A cowardly band of thugs taking the first that Sally was able to talk into backing off, the second snatched by Goblins which Gary was able to discuss into a trade for. The third and last was all that was standing between them completing this small break in their main focus of making it West.

Sally stood there at the mouth of the cave that was rumored to hold the last bag of beans. In her hand she held a potion, one that the scientist had made for her from some strange mushrooms back at the hippy camp. Supposedly the only way to find the hidden room within the cave was to take this mysterious substance. But instead of doing so and getting over with the quest, Sally just stood there, minutes going by as she seemed to be lost in thought.

Gary, noticing her hesitance, walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Only twice before had she paused, rather than running in head long into whatever it was she was hired to do. That being when they encountered the ghostly pickle factory, and the scary clown circus.

Sally slowly looked up to him, regarding him with what looked like scared eyes. He tilted his head in question, he rarely seen this in her.

"Gary." Her voice was almost a whisper, like she was trying to calm herself down. "Please promise me you'll..." she took a breath, "that you'll watch over me while I'm going through this."

Gary gave a soft chuckle. "Yes, yes, always is Gary watch of Miss Sally."

His smile seemed to give her strength as she placed the vial to her mouth and swallowed the entire liquid in one swift gulp. Sally hated this. She hated it with ever fiber of her being, but she took slow deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Getting upset would only cause for a bad trip, and she wanted to avoid that entirely.

She looked back to see Gary smiling as he followed behind her. She was surprised, he had voiced his dislike of dark caves many times before, but seemed willing to venture in to care for her. Her cheeks flushed a light pink as she turned her head away. When she did the cave look completely different than it had before. It had started.

\-----------------------------------

Taking drugs. For a lot of people that wouldn't scare them in the slightest, maybe even excite a few, but for Sally it was hell. She didn't know why, but whenever she tried them it always turned out as a horrible experience. She always seen things, heard things, that made her blood go cold, and the way time around the focal point of her site always moved like it was on fast forward. She hated it!

The shadows in the cave morphed and she tried so hard to avoid looking at them. Even the large mushrooms that covered the cave floor seemed to look strange. She had to take a few turns back to look at Gary for courage and to ground her back into reality. He slowly caught up to her and placed a hand on her back, supporting her as she began to sway.

"Funny Sally is, shroom make." He said softly, "like the drinking." He gave another soft chuckle.

Sally covered her ears with her hands, groaning loudly. "Gary, you're too loud!"

Gary looked shocked, tilting his head. "No being, Gary is not." He replied, his voice like a whisper.

"Quieter Gary! Your voice is bouncing off of the walls." She stopped, her eyes shut in pain.

Gary huffed, deciding rather to stay quiet than cause her any more harm. Whatever that stuff was, he didn't like how it was affecting her. He pressed his hand more firmly on her back to reassure her that he was still there.

After a few moments she slowly reopened her eyes, cautiously taking slow steps to continue on through the cave. She swayed slightly with each step and Gary was worried that he would have to carry her out by the end of this.

They continued on for some time, slowly as Sally swayed and took each step cautiously like she wasn't sure about the floor itself. Dodging the mushrooms that filled the cave. Turning her head back and forth to avoid making eye contact with the shadows. Finally she stopped and pointed to the left cave wall.

"Oh... O-okay Gary, d-do you see an opening there?" Her voice was shaky, and he followed her finger to where it pointed at, seeing only cave wall. He shook his head, and her expression became strict and laced with worry. "I see a new path, a-and I'm not sure if it's real."

Gary pushed her lightly, instructing her to examine with her hands. She swallowed hard, her arms trembled violently as they reached out. Slowly her fingers extended, expecting to feel the rough rock of the cave wall. But as she took another step and still didn't feel it, she looked back to Gary for reassurance, who was looking at her hands in a puzzling way. To him they looked like they were inside the rock.

"Should I continue?" She couldn't keep the fear from her voice.

Gary nodded, his hand slowly rested on her shoulder and his warm smile again there to encourage her. There was a reason she had to take the strange potion to find the beans. Gary had a suspicion this might have been it. His grip tightened when her body slowly slipped into what still looked like cave wall to him, and when his fingers slowly passed through he held his breath. Only releasing it once on the other side.

They were in a small room, flashing lights and soft music danced around like there was a party going on. Gary was surprised they couldn't hear or see any of this before they had passed through the mysterious cave wall. On the far end sat an old dusty couch, two wooden crates on either side of it. On one sat a strange glowing container, and on the other sat the bag of beans they were here to retrieve. Above them a disco ball slowly spun, filling the small room with sparkling lights.

Gary released Sally and walked over to grab the beans and store them in the knapsack that was slung on his arm before turning back to her. The music didn't seem to bother her ears, so he had decided to try speaking again.

"Beans Gary has. Leaving now? " But she didn't acknowledge him. Instead staring at the glowing container.

"Look Gary, a lava lamp." Was all she said, pointing at it. She sounded like she was off in space, and his stomach turned in an unpleasant and worrisome way. As if warning him that something wasn't right.

Sally giggled, snapping his attention back. "Lava lamp." She repeated.

"Now go." Gary pushed, feeling more and more uneasy. "Beans got, old man to give."

Sally stood there motionless, hunched over as she was mesmerized by the moving glowing liquid. Giggling from time to time at nothing. Gary shuffled around, unsure of what to do.

"Gary," Sally said softly after awhile, her voice almost drifting in a dreamy way, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. He didn't like this one bit. "Gaaaaary..." She called out to him in a sing song way, starting to slowly sway towards him. She gave another giggle. "I'm feeling so much better now. Why don't we stay here?"

She got really close to him, only inches away from their bodies touching, and he slowly took a step back. "Miss Sally weird be." Now he was the one with the shaky voice.

She smiled up to him with half lided eyes. "Oh, you can just call me Sally, Gary." Her smile seemed to widen and curl at the edges.

He swallowed hard, backing away again slowly. This was starting to take a dangerous turn.

"So what do you say Gary? Let's stay here. No one will know we're even here." Another giggle, and she lowered her voice. "And we can do some..."things", just you and I." She giggled again at the air quotes, doing them a few more times just for fun.

Gary's cheeks flushed brown and his eyes opened wide. This wasn't Sally at all! Curse that damn potion.

His hand shout out before his brain had time to react, a loud slap rang through the room, even over the music. Sally's head stayed turned to the side as she processed what had happened. Did he hit her?

"Out of this Sally be snapping!" He shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking lightly. "Scared Gary is. Bad for Sally shroom is, seeing now is Gary!"

Inside Sally was raging a war. She hadn't known when it happened, but at some point the potion had completely taken over her mind. Was it the strange room? Whatever it was, she needed to take back control. Gary's shaky voice causing her heart to curl in pain, then her stomach did the same, and she ripped herself from him to begin vomiting on the floor. Her head swimming, and the room beginning to turn upside down.

\-------------------------------

Gary slowly walked through the empty lands of the West, the night air cooling off his stressed nerves. Sally was curled up in his arms, obviously plagued by drug induced nightmares, shaking lightly. He was lost in thought over what had just happened in the cave, and he silently trekked on as he tried to work it all out. Dirtwater was much too far for him to walk all the way there to rest for the night, so he decided to stop at the jelly bean collector's house. While providing a better place to camp for the night, he could also return the God awful beans that had started this whole damned adventure.

Gary scowled at the thought. If only Sally had said no for once. He shook his head and gave a quick chuckle, of course she wouldn't say no, she was too good not to. He sighed, too good for the West. A place where demon cows ran amuck and what little civilization did survive was filled with bandits and cut throats.

Even though it was closer, he still had a walk ahead of him and only his thoughts to keep him company.

"Wonderous." Gary growled lightly, being lost in thought was the last thing he wanted right now. He sighed, knowing full well he would succumb to it in the end. Deciding to rather choose something other than the cave events to ponder on.

Sally before the cave, her scared expression and hesitation. What did it mean? He was reminded if the two other times he had seen her like this again, the pickle factory and circus. Maybe all three of these had something in common he wasn't seeing.

The Pickle factory, to Gary it looked like any other run down building sitting in the middle of the West, like so many that they had seen before. They were only there to finish a bounty the sheriffs secretary of Dirtwater had posted, something Sally couldn't ignore. She had told Gary that she was going to complete them all, something he had no doubt she would. But when she touched the handle of the door he faintly heard her whisper that she was late for her shift and then she just stood there. When Gary had asked if she was alright she hadn't replied, and when we waved a hand in front of her face she didn't react.

Gary got worried then, like he was in the cave. Her eyes looked almost glazed over, and she mumbled like in a trance. He had been just about to the point of scooping her up and rushing her to a doctor when she seemed to snap out of it. Shouting "Get me out of here! Get me out of here!". But when he had asked what had happened she told him she wasn't sure, looking at the door with the same hesitance she had for the potion. But she didn't ask for his help then, no, she had swallowed whatever fear she had and pushed on. Eventually catching the gang of bandits and scoring three pickles to boot.

She never told him what it was that happened, or what caused her to hesitate, same as the potion. Something he would ask her when she woke up, if she was in the mood to tell.

The fear in her eyes, it reminded him of the circus. The way her skin crawled whenever she looked at one of the face painted clowns. Or how tightly she clung to his arm when they got too close.

She had told him about the stories of before the cows came home. About demon cows and clowns, and how she didn't trust either of them. He didn't see why it matter so much, but when they stumbled upon the circus and the way she looked like a frightened child put him on edge. He made sure to help guide her as far away from them as he could while they searched the terrible place. Giving each of the cackling clowns a toothy scowl, warning them to stay back or deal with him. But like the pickle factory, she had swallowed her fear and went into the circus. When she had looked at him at the mouth of the cave, her eyes were almost pleading to him. As if wishing someone else would be the hero for once instead of her. What about that little vial of liquid had her so shook up?

Sally's shaking had slowly dissipated, and Gary believed she was finally getting some actual sleep. Good, she needed a rest.

"Shroom Sally scared of, yet Gary Sally is with?" He asked quietly to no one. It was a puzzling question, she knew about Goblins, about their association to shrooms. Yet this was the first time he had seen her react so scared and worried of one.

Even the day she slowly walked down into the cellar of the saloon back in Boring Springs, only her lantern lighting the way, she didn't look at all frightened. And when he had popped into view, his green skin and pointy horns, she didn't run. Sure he had caught her off guard, a small gasp escaping her, but once she caught herself she had smiled to him. Even agreed to take him West with her, something he is still both thankful and surprised about.

No, Sally was brave, caring, and an all around good egg, yet the shrooms unnerved her. He hummed to his self, he would have to get to the bottom of this, there was something else there she hadn't told him. Something else he didn't know. But it would have to wait till the morning, let her rest now.

He sighed lightly as the familiar shack of Roy's Jelly Bean Museum appeared in the distance, just a little further on. His second wind came in, and he started a brisk jog. Holding Sally against him tighter so as not to jostle her. She mumbled lightly into his chest, and he was almost disappointed that this moment was close to its end.

Once at the shack he lightly placed her down against the outside wall, walking in to see Roy still awake, fidgeting with his bean collection. Throwing the last bag at him violently, giving him a spiteful snarl.

"Found beans is, done we are." Gary spat.

"Huh? I don't understand what yer sayin' there fella. But looks like ya got 'em all 'ere. Thank ya kindly." Roy replied with a tip of his hat.

Gary just shrugged him off, he wasn't in the mood to deal with him, not after what had happened because of his stupid beans. Plus Sally was still outside, and if he was to keep her warm while she slept he needed to make a fire.

Once outside, Gary noticed Sally had curled up on her side and was beginning to shake from the cold. Gary cursed under his breath for leaving her like that.

"Fire Gary make quick. Gary promise." He whispered to her, pulling out a few supplies from the knapsack.

After a few failed attempts with her flint fire starter, he had a small fire going. Adding some sticks and dried grass. It wasn't much, but it would help keep her warm and predators at bay. If it could last till the morning, Gary thought, he'd cook one of the sausages they had in stock, so she could get something in that no empty belly.

Rolling out their sleeping mats, he placed hers as close to the fire as he felt safe doing, resting her softly on top. Wrapping the cow hide blanket around her tightly. Then placing his own mat next to hers, getting as close as he could. Lying down, he pulled her up against his chest, his arm wrapping around her mid section. To keep her warm, he kept reminding his self. The fire sizzled and snapped before he soon found his self drifting to sleep.

\---------------------------------

The morning sun felt pleasant as it peeked over the horizon. It's rays warming Sally's chilled face, and she sighed lightly as she began to draw energy from its warmth. Her mind took a minute before the memories from the night before slammed into her. Did all that really happen? She groaned lightly, what an idiot she was.

A loud snore from behind her snapped her back, and she felt something coil tighter around her waist. She froze as she felt the rise and fall of something against her back. She wasn't alone.

Slowly she looked down and saw an arm wrapped around her, the green skin a dead giveaway. She let out a slow breath, it was only Gary. But then again, why was he holding her in bed? Another snore and he mumbled in his sleep, his cheek nuzzling the top of her head gently. This was starting to feel awkward. A light blush spreading on her cheeks. When she tried to crawl away however he would tighten up again, the way he jolted was like he was afraid of loosing her. The blush began to deepen, she needed to climb out of his grasp or risk turning into a tomato.

Gary grumbled, Sally's new position as she tried to climb away made it so she was no longer blocking the sun. He groaned as he rolled over so his back would face it. This freed Sally, and she scurried away before his unconscious mind realized she wasn't in his arms any longer.

Finally free, she set to redressing herself, her clothes from the night before dirty from all that had happened. Bathing would be in order once they returned to their rented room back in Dirtwater. Until then, a fresh set of clothes would have to do. After cleaning herself up, she tended to the slowly dying fire, stoking the flames back up enough to cook on. Her small travel frying pan secured above the fire and a few sausages beginning to warm up within it.

Gary stirred from his sleep, the smell of cooking meat pulling him from his dreams. The sound of sizzling filled his ears, and his eyes snapped open. The thought of the possibility that bandits had stormed their small camp and was ransacking their supplies fueled him. Once he looked down to see Sally missing, his gut twisted with worry and his head spun around to look at the fire, ready to pounce on any criminal he laid eyes on.

"Mornin' sleepy head." Sally smiled to him, taking a fork to test the sausage.

Gary let out a shaky sigh, willing his self to calm down. Everything was fine, his fears weren't a reality.

"Hungry?" Sally asked, starting to make two plates.

Gary nodded, trying to avoid eye contact for the time being, his embarrassment starting to show on his face. To think he got so worked up. Busying his self with rolling up the sleeping mats and storing them away. Sally sat there patiently, the two plates resting on her lap as she waited for him. When he was finished he sat next to her, taking his plate with a quiet thank you.

The two ate in silence, and Sally noticed Gary kept his head low to avoid her eye. She became concerned, this wasn't like him. Then the memory of the night prier came to mind, and she wondered if he was upset about what had transpired. She swallowed hard, hoping that he wouldn't bring it up. She was well ready to just forget about it and move on. But fate wouldn't have it that way, and once finished with their meal Gary sighed before finally looking to her.

"Talk we must be doing." He said softly.

Sally froze, she would rather not. "Hey.. Uh, last night. It was just a mess, but we got the beans. So how's about we just forget about it?" She tried giving her bravest smile.

Gary shook his head slowly. "Forgetting Gary can not."

Sally could feel herself begin to become uneasy, and she gripped the sleeves of her coat tightly." Look, Gary." When did her mouth get so dry? "W-what I said, I didn't mean it. We're just frie-"

Gary cut her off. "Potion Miss Sally is scared. Why being so?"

Sally sat there with her mouth open, blind sided by this. He was on a whole different topic. She swallowed, trying to calm down. Of course he would only care about that." O-oh." Her voice still shook a little. "Well, I guess if you're going to be my partner then you should know."

She sighed, sitting more comfortably. The tension was gone now that the conversation wasn't going where she feared it would. But what she was about to tell him was something she had never told another soul, a secret she thought she would take to her grave.

"Gary, for humans taking shrooms makes us... how do I put this? It makes us act and feel weird. Our bodies can't handle it like Goblins can, and it causes a strange reaction." She tried explaining it without having to go too much into detail with human brains and the such, knowing it would only confuse him more.

"Strange feeling then why doing?" He asked, his head tilted slightly as he focused on her.

"For some people." She let out a frustrated sigh. "For most people, it is a good feeling. Makes them smile. And they want to pursue it more."

"And for you being?" Dammit, he was too good, he knew her too well.

She sighed, this secret of hers was finally going to come to light. "It's horrible." Gary's gaze only strengthen. "No matter how much I try to calm myself down I always feel dreadful. My chest hurts, and after awhile my head hurts. My focus shifts in the weirdest way, and it can almost be nauseating the way it spins." She fidgeted lightly with her coat. "The worst of all is the things I see. Monsters, demons, creatures that even the cultists would fear. Everything warps into strange forms and I can't trust anything. They'll whisper to me, saying horrible things. Egging me on to do unspeakable things. Clawing at my very soul." She had to pause to take a few breaths, and his hand rested on hers.

"If bad being, why you do?" Gary asked, his voice almost a whisper to the pounding in her head.

"Other than last night, I've only done it once. After the things I experience I swore off of it forever." She replied.

"Yet did." Gary pressed on.

"Yes, I did." She sighed. "We needed to get the beans, and no one at the camp was going to help us. Tweaked out of their minds, hardly able to make a full sentence." Her voice was almost like venom.

"No." Gary suddenly spat.

"What?" Sally replied, looking at him puzzled.

"No." He repeated sternly. "Not having to Miss Sally. Saying of no's for once being."

She looked at him, shocked. "Gary, if I don't, who will?"

"Not caring." He stood up, taking their plates and wiping them off before storing them back in the knapsack. "Hurt Miss Sally was, beans being from. Bubble of comfort push past Miss Sally did. Saying no, have done."

Sally could feel her face start to heat up, but she tried to push it down. Standing up suddenly and stomping a foot. "Gary, these people need all the help they can get! I'm not going to just turn away from them."

Gary finished packing the last of her things, before stomping out the fire in frustration. "Killed being Miss Sally will!" He shouted, a small snarl beginning to grow from the corner of his mouth. "Gary not let."

Sally couldn't stop her face from flushing or her eyes from opening wide.

"Dangerous is West. Gary is knowing." He threw the knapsack on his back, turning to start back on their trail.

"I can damn well take care of myself, Gary!" Sally wasn't done, she felt attacked. Like when her brother had told her she would die out here the first day of her adventure.

Gary spun around, the look in his eyes made her blood freeze, and she stepped back slightly in fear. "Much good Sally care of self!" He spat, his voice being the one now laced with venom. "Gary not here Sally be in cave still!"

Sally shrank back, the fire of anger she had now doused by the wisdom Gary shouted. His words were harsh, but she couldn't deny how true they were.

"What of clowns? Factory of pickles? Gary not here Sally dead being long ago." He breathed heavily, becoming very upset over the whole thing. But when he saw the fear and defeat in her eyes he sighed deeply, leashing his anger and putting it away.

They stood there for a few moments, neither one wanting to say anything. The wind picked up and swirled around them, as if trying to calm them both. When it died down again Gary sighed, repositioning the knapsack.

"Help the West need greatly. Gary knowing stopping Sally won't." He looked to her, the spark reappearing in her eyes. "But," he said roughly, his next words strict, "if Gary is thinking Miss Sally is danger quest being, then Gary no saying." Her smile came back, and his heart jumped in such a way it left him confused.

"I think I can agree to that." She chuckled, jogging shortly to catch up with him. "Now, let's get heading to Dirtwater. I need a bath badly, and prefer to sleep in my own bed tonight."

Gary nodded, and the two set on to the east, back to Dirtwater. The wind at their backs and the sun on their face.

**Author's Note:**

> Expect more stories including Gary ;3


End file.
